A NEW sermon series for June entitled ‘Living the Spirit-Filled Life’. Preaching from Nathan Gordon. Service led by Terri Whiston.

Sermon Notes

I am very excited for this month of ministry because I believe God wants to fill us anew with the Holy Spirit and empower us with the fruit and gifts to continue living effectively for Jesus Christ in our modern society. I hope you can join us on both Wednesdays and Sundays throughout June as we focus on the Holy Spirit all month. God bless you all. With love in Christ, Nathan.

Quote Zone

If I were Satan and my ultimate goal was to thwart God’s kingdom and purposes, one of my main strategies would be to get churchgoers to ignore The Holy Spirit.

Francis Chan

1)    The Situation
~ The Promise of The Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38-39) 

Peter said, “Change your life. Turn to God and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, so your sins are forgiven. Receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is targeted to you and your children, but also to all who are far away—whomever, in fact, our Master God invites.”

• The Holy Spirit has always been present and active throughout the creation passages, anointing prophets, judges, and kings to do the work of the Lord in the Old Testament (see Gen 1:2, 1:26, Job 26:13, Isaiah 32:15, Acts 1:16).
• However, the New Testament fulfilled the promise of the Holy Spirit indwelling the lives of every believer (Joel 2:28-32 & Acts 2:1-21).
• This promise was prophesied by Joel in the Old Testament, and by John the Baptist and Jesus in the New Testament.

Encouragement – God never disappoints us when it comes to fulfilling his promises. Joel announced what would happen when the Spirit would pour out, and the promise was fulfilled 50 days after the Passover on the day of Pentecost. Whatever God has promised through his word will come to pass because God is not a human that can lie. Be encouraged you are safe in the knowledge of God’s promises.

2) The Complication
~ Surely the Holy Spirit is for the Super Believers…The VIP’s? (Acts 2:12-13)

• It’s common for people to find it easier to relate to God as the Father and the Son, but struggle to understand the function and work of the Holy Spirit.
• This difficulty may stem from the extraordinary experiences described on the day of Pentecost.
• For example, there was a sound from Heaven like a rushing mighty wind, and cloven tongues like fire sat upon each person in the house. They all began to speak in tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

Encouragement – Remember the 120 in the upper room were ordinary men and women who believed in Jesus Christ as the saviour of humanity and followed the instruction to wait for the promise of the Holy Spirit.

3) The Celebration
~ The Holy Spirit is for EVERYONE (Acts 2:14-21)

“In the Last Days,” God says, “I will pour out my Spirit on every kind of people…

•  The promise of the Holy Spirit is for ALL Believers who profess faith in Jesus Christ 
• The Holy Spirit is not reduced to some Christians but available for ALL Christians
• The Holy Spirit is not limited to specific denominations or churches. 

Challenge – The promise has been fulfilled and continues to be fulfilled even today. The Holy Spirit continues to fill the hearts of believers worldwide regardless of background, status, or denomination. The question is are we ready to receive the promise of the Father or do we have doubts like the crowd in Jerusalem? (Acts 2:12-13)